


Ten Shots

by LinksLipsSinkShips



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: College, Drinking, M/M, Party, Pining Rhett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 11:36:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14284083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinksLipsSinkShips/pseuds/LinksLipsSinkShips
Summary: One shot and Rhett's thinking about how stupid Link is for bringing him here. Two shots and he's wanting to go home. Three shots and he's trying to figure out why he's so jealous of the way Link looks and acts and flirts.





	Ten Shots

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the prompt: "I may not be your cup of tea but I'm your tenth shot of tequila."

_ One. _

 

Rhett couldn’t remember the last time he was this pissed off at Link. Link and his stupid smug attitude. Link and his stupid gaggle of girls that always surrounded him at a party. He’d been the one to convince Rhett to get out of the house, and the moment they got to the party, he’d been the one going off and doing a keg stand to impress them while Rhett stood in the corner nursing a beer. It wasn’t Link’s fault that Rhett wasn’t as outgoing, but it also wasn’t Rhett’s fault that Link could be such a jerk sometimes. Why even invite Rhett if he was just going to ditch him? Rhett wasn’t sure, but beer wasn’t cutting it. He shoved off the wall and slid through the crowd, finding a table full of alcohol.

“Shot?” A pretty blonde offered him one and he took it, downing it without asking what it was. It burned his throat and made his eyes water without any sort of chaser. Tequila. Well, he’d made worse choices, he figured. He grabbed a soda and found the nearest wall, leaning against it again.

 

_ Two. _

 

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, man,” Link leaned next to Rhett against the wall, looking at the crowded room in front of them. “We’re getting ready to play beer pong. You in?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rhett said. It annoyed him how the crowd surrounded the table to watch Link. Link and his stupid hip wiggle as he tried to find the right angle to throw the ball. Link and his stupid grin as he sank the shot. Link and his stupid victory dance as his opponent drank. Somehow, they’d managed to get through the entire game only having to drink once. Rhett wasn’t sure if Link was just exceptionally good and if he’d managed to pick the best players to be on his side, or if the other team was just that trashed by now.

“Victory shot?” Link asked. Rhett threw it back without a second thought.

 

_ Three. _

 

Link was lost in the crowd again, but the blonde who had offered him that first shot wasn’t. She tugged at his hand, drawing him into the center of the party and put Rhett’s hands on her waist. “Dance with me!” she shouted over the din. Rhett did as he was instructed, dancing with her and letting her guide him in movements. He had all of the coordination of a newborn giraffe, too-long limbs and not much experience. “You look happy,” she said, sarcasm leaking through. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said into her ear, trying to talk over the music and the chatter. “Just got dragged out here by my roommate and he ditched me. Kind of lame. You’re making it a little better, though.” Rhett was attempting to flirt and could tell he was failing miserably.

“Parties not your cup of tea?” she asked.

“Parties are fine. It’s my stupid roommate that’s not my cup of tea,” Rhett said. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. Link and that stupid ease at talking Rhett into things he didn’t want to do.

“Maybe we can loosen you up with another shot,” she offered, tugging him aside and handing him a glass. This one went down easier.

 

_ Four _ .

 

Rhett gave up on dancing eventually when the girl he’d been dancing with traded off for a more coordinated partner. He danced a lot like Link. She probably would have liked Link if he’d been anywhere around. He wasn’t, though. Rhett had already scanned the room for him a few times. Stupid Link and his coordinated dancing. Stupid Link and how he had moves like a stripper with rent to pay.

 

_ Five _ .

 

Rhett was feeling the alcohol now. He was warm, too warm, and found himself pushing his way through the kitchen and into the backyard. The air was cooler out there, but the atmosphere wasn’t any less crowded. The party had moved outside, or at least part of it had.

“Hey, Rhett!” Link called him over. “C’mere!” Rhett followed Link’s voice over to a table, one with a girl stretched out across it. She had dark curls falling around her shoulders, and her top was off to reveal a lace bra. “Check it out, man,” Link said, clapping a hand against Rhett’s shoulders.

“Neal, you’re up,” someone Rhett barely recognized from a class said. Rhett watched as Link licked salt off of the girl’s stomach, then took a shot of tequila. He spent a little bit too long biting the lime between her teeth, and Rhett was sure he’d stolen a kiss by the way she giggled and shoved him away playfully. Stupid Link and his stupid moves.

“I’m done for a while, y’all,” she said, sitting up and not bothering to put her top back on as she hopped off of the table. “Link, you should take my place,” she said with a wink.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link said. “You were up. Too chicken to take a shot off of your best friend?” he asked. There was a dare in his eyes and Rhett was a little too tipsy to say no.

Rhett stepped forward and swallowed nervously, leaning down to lick salt off of Link’s stomach.  _ What the hell am I doing?  _ He took the shot, then quickly snatched the lime from Link’s mouth by an edge, making sure not to make contact. He bit down, turned on a heel, and walked away without comment.

 

_ Six. Seven. Eight. _

 

Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. Stupid party, stupid body shots. Rhett was tempted to walk home and leave Link there. Why did Link dare him like that? Rhett’s mind raced as he did three shots, back-to-back, then grabbed a bottle of water and slumped on the bottom step of a nearby staircase.

 

_ Nine. _

 

“Hey, I feel like I’ve barely seen you all evening,” Link sat down next to Rhett on the stairs.

“It’s fine,” Rhett said. “You were hanging out with other people, right? The always-popular Link Neal,” he snapped.

“Whoa, hey, I brought you here because I wanted to hang out with you, man. You kind of ditched me,” Link said. “Here.” He handed Rhett a shot in a red plastic cup, completely unaware of how many Rhett had so far that night. Rhett took it, drinking it and setting the cup beside him on the ground.

“I ditched you?” Rhett asked. His head was a little foggy, mind unclear. The way he’d seen it, Link had gotten there and gathered in a group of friends, and Rhett had been pushed to the sidelines.  _ Rhett, you want to do a keg stand? Come on, _ he vaguely remembered.

“Yeah,” Link said.

“Forgive me if I didn’t want a front row seat to Link Neal, King of Flirtation all night,” Rhett said. He shoved off of the step and walked away.

 

_ Ten _ .

 

Rhett knew he should stop drinking, but he had another shot anyway. Tonight was awful. Stupid Link and his stupid way of making Rhett feel… who knows how Rhett felt? Stupid, mostly. Rhett’s mind was blurred. He didn’t know why he was so pissed off. He was just jealous. Jealous of how easily Link could get the girls. Jealous of how naturally flirting came to Link. Jealous of the girls that got close to him.  _ Wait, what?  _ The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He wasn’t mad that Link had been flirting with girls. He was mad that Link hadn’t been flirting with  _ him _ .

“Rhett, hey,” Link grabbed his arm.

“Link,” Rhett breathed. He was too far gone with alcohol to think rationally. Instead, he tugged Link hard down a hall.

“What are you doing?” Link asked. He didn’t resist, though, following Rhett wherever he led.

“Just want to talk,” Rhett muttered. He found an empty room and pulled Link inside, closing the door behind them and pushing Link up against the door. “Why’d you bring me here?” Rhett demanded. “Why’d you drag me to this stupid party in the first place?”

“Because I thought it would be fun,” Link said. “I thought we could hang out. You took off every time I tried, man. What’s with you?”

“This,” Rhett said. His inhibitions were long gone as he kissed Link, a little too rough and sloppy. Link tasted like lime and liquor and… peanut butter? Rhett couldn’t really tell. He pulled back, waiting for Link to punch him, or to walk away, or to do something,  _ anything _ , to tell Rhett how stupid he was for trying something like that. Instead, Link grabbed Rhett by the shirt with both hands, yanking him forward and kissing him back.

“What took you so long?” Link asked. “I’ve been trying to get your attention all night.”

“But you were flirting--”

“...I was  _ trying _ to get your  _ attention _ , Rhett,” Link said.

Stupid Link. Stupid attention-getting Link and his stupid smile and his stupid handsome face and the stupid way Rhett’s hands were now slipping around his waist like they were meant to be there all along.

“That’s so stupid,” Rhett mumbled into Link’s neck. “You should have just told me.”

Link pushed Rhett back just enough for them to make eye contact. “I’m telling you now.” He reached behind himself, locking the door and walking Rhett back to the bed, pushing him onto it and putting one knee on each side of him. “I’m telling you now,” he repeated, kissing Rhett again. His hands toyed with the hem of Rhett’s shirt.

“Is this happening?” Rhett asked. Any less than ten shots and it might have seemed believable, but now it seemed like the kind of dream he’d have after a few too many drinks. Link bit his lip hard, and Rhett let out a small yelp that gave way to a small moan.

“Yeah, buddyroll. Probably should’ve before now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Clem wrote a fic for the same prompt. You can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14284095).


End file.
